Yet this my comfort, when your words are done,
My woes end likewise with the evening sun.

Egeon in Shakespeare’s
A Comedy of Errors (1.1.26-7)

Horoscopes for 12.5.2019

Full Moon in Sagittarius and Gemini, 12.12.2019 at 12:12 AM CDT or 12.11.2019 at 11:12 PM. Your Mileage May Vary. The December special deal.

Sagittarius

Travel, it’s hardwired into my soul. I’m used to it, with all its vagaries, especially commercial air travel.

I looked up, and there was a guy dressed like a mountain man. Full beard, fuzzy hat, boots, backpack, long winter coat, and a muffler. I was dressed in shorts and sandals, T-shirt and a lightweight flannel shirt wrapped around my waist. I will be in a terminal, then departure lounge, then taxi, then motel. Never outside for more than a few moments. I’ve also spent the bulk of my adult life in the Sun Belt, the American South West. Mostly South Texas these days, and the winter weather can be quite warm. So the Mountain Man look amused me, trekking to the north lands, I guess, but for me, this is about the vagaries of travel. As a Sagittarius, we must be light on our feet at this time, easily adaptable to whatever might come our way. Where I was going, though, no winter wear was required.

As a Sagittarius?

While me must be ready for exigent circumstances? Just a little looking ahead makes this more comfortable with much less to carry, no matter what mode of transport we’re using.

Capricorn

While the conglomeration of planets stuck in Capricorn, they don’t all lend themselves to this kind of a simplistic definition? While Pluto/Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter — individually? Not so much. Combine the elements represented, and with the Sun still in Sagittarius, thank-you-very-much? Add it all up, and what do we have?

Focus. Simply put, direct that copious, Capricorn attention to just one thing at a time. Really simple, and with the holidays, and the lists of things to get done, like shopping and cooking, and then, parties we must attend? All of that. The wish list, the baking, the holiday merry-making, and poor Capricorn being pulled in a thousand different directions? What is most important?

Focus. Tune out the details. Tune out the advertising, the insipid “mall music” playing holiday tunes, the latest Xmas album released by a tired pop star, yes, all of that. make a sincere effort to get connected with a single task, and see that all the way through to its logical conclusion — and see it as far as you can go before turning your Capricorn attention elsewhere. “But I need to get this and this and this all done, too!”

Capricorn: One. At. A. Time.

(Hint: not, “One. at a. Time.)

Aquarius

Ever wonder where the term, “Chalk it up” comes from? Like “Chalk it up to the holidays,” that type of expression? What chalk? Where are we chalking this chalk? I’m sure the internet has an answer, but I’ve found about half of what’s in the web these days is less than factually correct.

I fish and I write horoscopes. No one expects me to completely honest, and yet, I am. Let’s “Chalk that up to experience.”

Again, I’m unsure of the providence of the expression, and I’m unable to locate a reasonable source to suggest the real reason for the term. However, in my mind, it’s about lessons learned, and the expression conveys a quick period of learning rather than a period when something permanent is erected. Temporary, transitional, perhaps just “Experimental and experiential” rather than solid.

Interestingly, the first iteration of my Bare Foot Astrology was originally a taped version of the lecture, and I called it “Chalk Talk,” although, at the time, I was already using a whiteboard for illustrations, no chalk. Matter of fact, no chalk, ever. So when we “chalk it up to,” where the antecedent, the object of what is getting chalked up? When we chalk it up to — whatever? That’s subject to the individual Aquarius experience. But that’s what this week is about, chalk, not permanent marker.

Pisces

It was a flow diagram, designed to look like it was hand-drawn. The question it posed, “Should you be practicing right now?” While primarily intended as a joke — or reminder — for musicians, aspiring musicians, and that ilk? It worked on several levels because every possible — as far as I could see — any possible excuse was end up with “You should be practicing.”

The other expression that might be a bit of a classical stretch? “All road lead to Rome.”

Me? I’m not a musician. Can’t carry a tune in a bucket with a handle. Not worried about it, either, as the same skill sets that result in excellent musicians? That “Practice – practice – practice” mantra? Same applies to my skills sets, my crafts, and the same repetition helps. For me, that’s the writing I do, and whether I’m actively working on horoscopes for this next year, which I still need to look at, or if this is other material that I work with? Doesn’t much matter, there’s a certain rhythm that comes from fingers on keyboards, and that’s what counts. It’s like the musicians, or any type of artistry, what helps manage that skill level, and what makes us better? What advice we need for the next few days, to best cope with Pisces energies? What makes us better? “Practiced – practice – practice.”

Aries

Never can tell what or how this happens. I ran into an old friend who had been a lawyer, what I was told. She had law degree, worked in some branch or something as a lawyer, and then dropped from the old Austin radar. She was working on a flight crew for the airlines. She was tossing out peanuts, serving coffee, and that was it. In a snippet of conversation, and a vapid promise to get in touch later, I could fill in the details.

After getting passed over for promotion, she shifted her focus, and seemed to be having great fun, flying around, and seeing the countryside, at the expense of her employer. Apparently, it beat the option of paying to travel, and since she was determinedly single, it was/is a lifestyle that suits her.

I guess.

The weird part about this, it was a simple commuter flight, not any kind of a big deal, and running into someone who had made a drastic life change seemed odd. It holds a great truth for the Aries future, you know.

Special footnote…

Taurus

The Christmas Album is always an excellent value. Once a year, every year, the album comes back into play. Like Xmas decorations that get boxed up and forgotten in a month? But for the present time, that Xmas Album is an excellent value. I did a family version, and one for a certain cousin, but I’ve lost interest, plus, really, been too busy to invest time in a decent Xmas Album. While the holiday cheer is upon us, and especially with the moon, plus, for Taurus? Time to resurrect the Xmas Album idea. For Taurus, this is either rehashing old material, or grabbing Xmas themed material and dropping it all in one spot.

Gemini

It was a miserably cold winter’s day. Mid-morning, wind whipping down from the north, sun low on the horizon approaching a weak winter mid-day peak, the long, slow slide towards the darkest days of the year, right? Nothing happy about this, at all, other than, in full winter gear, I was at the edge of the lake. Pole in hand, two poles, really, hands starting to get numb, but I was determined. Determined to fish, at least one day in December. Determined to make sure I wet a line at least once.

There’s a picture, probably on the recent weblog, of a smallish bass, technically a keeper, but I tossed him back, and that was the results of fishing. I invested a cold, five hours in fishing, on the shore of the lake, feeling rather frigid, and just a little bit stupid, but then I swore, I wasn’t going to let this window slip past me. I still am not totally sure of what it was I had to prove, but I did it. Maybe this was proving to myself I could still do it? But I did it.

As a Gemini-compliant person, what I’m trying to get across? Same message as before, just go and do it. Five hours, maybe a little longer, plus a hot shower that’s almost ran the water heater out of hot water as I tried to thaw myself out? Red and raw from that blasting arctic air? But I did it. What’s the message for Gemini? Like me? Just go, might be symbolic, might be trying to prove something to yourself, or I don’t even know what’s the motivation really is, but do it. Clear, curly-tail grub, #2 hook, 8-pound mono line. I did it. You can, too.

Cancer

Holiday travel just brings a whole new can of worms to the table, doesn’t it? I dated this one girl, well “dating” might be a bit euphemistic, but she was appalled by my fascination with certain forms of live bait, namely, earth worms. I would keep them in my icebox in the trailer in old South Austin. She wouldn’t let me transport safe containers, usually little styrofoam boxes, with dirt and worms in them.

Freaked her out. Wiggly worms were not her friend. I was thinking about that as I was looking at this week’s planets and the Moon Children, the Cancer elements. This week brings families together, and that brings a whole new can of worms to the Moon Children’s dinner table, now doesn’t it? I just got an image of a wriggling mass of earthworms, they really are pretty cool little critters, and for some fishing? Great bait. But like that one old girlfriend, and we use that term loosely, that whole idea of traveling, getting together with family, and all of that? It unleashes a whole new set of problems.

As we grind our way through towards the holiday season, and as family grinds us down, think about that styrofoam container filled with a dozen, nice-sized, night crawlers. I keep mine in the icebox, they last longer. The peat they are grown in seems to do just fine. About having family over? Man, that’s a different can of worms. How you approach it, and like that old girlfriend? She politely, but firmly, informed me there would be no worms transported in her car. How it goes.

The Leo

For US readers? This makes perfect sense. Overseas? I’m unsure of what you have that is even close, but there’s a chain in the US called Half Price Books. As the name implies, it’s a mostly books, and mostly used books, at least, that was the original business model. As an addendum, the first location was in Dallas, Texas — old neighborhood at one time. The books all used to be mostly used or remaindered hardcovers, and the price used to be pennies on the dollar of the sticker price.

Anymore? Yeah, kind of varies from location to location, and, I’ve noted before, there’s a different flavor to each of the chain’s locations. In addition, to make this work, I’ve managed to buy used copies of books missing from collections, “Borrowers of books are frequently thieves.” The mail order service tends to be much less expensive than any other outlet. I might be biased. However, as an example of how to use this week’s energy? One of my younger “grandma” friends, she’s looking for a text that she had as a child to pass onto her grandchildren. Great place to shop? Right there, on her phone, looking at the various outlets, and it was the aforementioned Half Price Books that had the best deal. See how easy this is? A trip down memory lane and a little frugal tip from me, and you’re golden again.

Virgo

For the last several years, see, I had this one client, elderly woman. Much older. Great fun, but she shuffled off this mortal coil, and that was the end. Not quite. Periodically, even to this day, I still get a social media notes — like reminders that it’s her birthday, or friend request that is pending, and sometimes, her email address is attached to spam. No, I don’t want what the unsolicited commercial email is trying to sell me.

The biggest challenge in this post-modern digital time? How do we deal with that’s left of our electric signature? By extension, then, for Virgo, this is about how we choose to deal with the electronic legacy that gets left behind. Personally, I’d like to erase mine as quick as I could. I tend to favor less and less digital footprint, but I still have a decent size boot-print in the current electronic landscape. How to deal with that? I know it’s high holidays for many, but there’s a troublesome little thought, back of your Virgo brain, and maybe not right this moment, but soon? Make sure you leave a way for someone to come in and erase your browser history, should, you know, something happen. Same applies to parents.

Libra

Stopped at a place for a cup of coffee while I was getting around for holiday crap. Excuse me, spreading my brand of holiday cheer. As much as I enjoy the holiday, some days, yeah, not so much. I handed the woman behind the counter my frequent flyer card and then said, “Yes, I want this for free.” She blinked at me. “Free?” “No, I mean, it’s rewards deal, I got a free one or something, I mean, I didn’t just want it for free free, just, you know.”

She smiled, and I think she was new to the job, and my demand for “free” unsettled her. I smiled, like I always do, then dropped a dollar in the tip jar, like I always do, and apologized for being a bit obtuse. I concluded with, “I try to make everyone’s day a little more surreal.” Which I do. Normal is so normal and by extension, boring. Like, “Bbbbboring….” Stretch that first part into three or maybe even five seconds of “Bore…..” But I do, in a small way, try to spread cheer via surreal commentary just to keep folks thinking. “Wait, did he really say that?” Yes, yes I did. As a Libra, this is the best time to try and make everyone’s day a little more, well, for lack of better word? “Surreal.”

Scorpio

Last week, I used a quote from a late Shakespeare play, The Two Noble Kinsmen. Including the play in the accepted Shakespeare canon is a little iffy, at best. Still, portions of the play are obviously the work of the one we call “the Bard.” What caught my attention on a recent re-reading of that play? The way the god of war, Mars, is so frequently invoked. Couple of guys are locked up, and fighting over women, still.

The play’s source is obviously from Chaucer. I like the poetry around Mars in The Two Noble Kinsmen as the actors are trying to get the patronage of the god of war to aid and assist in battle. Amusing. As a Scorpio, Mars is frying through your sign, and that gives you that extra edge. With the holiday crush and current mandated madness? How you use that “god of war” Mars-inspired energy is up to you, but think about the invocations in that play, and think about how it turns out. The inauspicious use of Mars-drive? Yeah, doesn’t turn out well.

astrofish.net/travel for appearances

“Nothing runs on automatic.” – L.W. “Bud” Shipley, Jr.